Beyond the Veil: A Case Study of Context, Culture, Curriculum, and Constructivism at Dubai Women's College

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Abstract

This case study of curriculum at Dubai Women's College (DWC) examines
perceptions of international educators who designed and implemented curriculum for female
Emirati higher-educational students in the UAE, and sheds light on the complex social,
cultural, and religious factors affecting educational practice. Participants were faculty and
supervisors, mainly foreign nationals, while students at DWC are exclusively Emirati.
Theories prominent in this study are: constructivist learning theory, trans formative
curriculum theory, and sociological theory. Change and empowerment theory figure
prominently in this study. Findings reveal this unique group of educators understand
curriculum theory as a "contextualized" construct and argue that theory and practice must be
viewed through an international lens of religious, cultural, and social contexts.
As well, the study explores how mandated "standards" in education-in the form of
the International English Language Testing System (IEL TS) and integrated, constructivist
curriculum, as taught in the Higher Diploma Year 1 program-function as dual curricular
emphases in this context. The study found that tensions among these dual emphases existed
and were mediated through specific strategies, including the use of authentic texts to mirror
the IEL TS examination during in-class activities, and the relevance of curricular tasks.